2020 Subaru Forester GT Edition Review | Philkotse Philippines

Going on a road trip is probably one of the things we miss most during this pandemic. If you look into what’s happening, we have yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel since COVID-19 is showing no signs of slowing down.

Why are we even talking about road trips and the virus? Well, these are the random things that passed our thoughts when Subaru Philippines handed the keys of the Subaru Forester to us. Upon driving the vehicle, we realized that this Forester is a perfect road trip companion. To know why here’s Philkotse’s 2020 Subaru Forester GT review.

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The GT edition you’re seeing here is based on the standard Forester 2.0i-S Eyesight. However, Subaru wanted to make the 2020 Subaru Forester exterior look more striking, which explains the birth of the Forester GT edition. At first glance, you can instantly say the Forester GT looks more badass than the standard model as it is more aggressive, composed, and stylish. Based on the look alone, the vehicle can convince you that it can drive through almost any terrain.

The Subaru Forester GT Edition has a sporty and rugged appeal

 The Forester GT comes with sharp-looking LED headlights, a large bumper, a black grille with a chrome accent, and a sculpted hood. What makes the Forester GT stand out is the front lip spoiler and the massive black cladding on the bumper. However, we’re not much of a fan of the Forester GT’s front bumper since the black cladding is a bit over the top. As a side note, we prefer the XV GT’s front design more than the Forester’s.

The side skirt and stylish wheels make the Forester GT stand out

The Forester’s character lines make the vehicle muscular and have a composed stance. You can also see black claddings on the vehicle’s prominent wheel arches. What makes this Forester GT distinct is the good-looking side skirts that give the vehicle a dose of sportiness. You’ll also notice its stylish set of 18-inch GT alloy wheels.

This crossover comes with a composed stance

The combination of rugged and sporty design continues to be seen at the rear of the 2020 Forester GT. It has large wraparound taillights, a sporty-looking bumper, and a massive spoiler – details that make this GT edition stand out from the regular Forester. The extended bumper makes this Forester appear larger as compared to the standard model. On the other hand, the spoiler complements the overall rear design.

The interior of the Forester GT comes with a dark theme along with silver and glossy black trims. The dashboard layout of this vehicle looks similar to other Subaru vehicles. Right at the center, the Forester GT is equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

The said screen is responsive to every touch and it comes with better-looking button icons as compared to one we’ve seen on the XV. The instrument cluster comes with a white-on-black design, which makes it visible in either day or nighttime driving.

The Forester GT comes with a dark cabin theme

The leather seats of the Forester is a welcome feature since it gives you enough support and keeps your body in place while you’re driving. On the other hand, the rear seats can accommodate up to three individuals and it has more than enough leg- and head-room for passengers standing at 5’6”. There are also aircon vents at the back, which helps cool down the cabin and keep rear passengers more comfortable. As such, rear passengers will have a nice ride experience even during long trips.

Rear leg- and head-room will not be a problem

Overall, the 2020 Subaru Forester interior is nice and it comes with features that give you the typical premium feel that Subaru is known for. We’re not able to test the Forester’s cargo space. However, Subaru PH said that it comes with a cargo capacity of 520 liters, which is notable.

With that space, you can load almost anything into the Forester’s cargo area. Items such as a week’s supply of groceries, four to five luggage, your baby’s stroller, and many others can fit easily inside the Forester. As such, the cargo space of this vehicle is one of the many reasons why it is an ideal road trip companion.

The Forester GT's multi-function steering wheel

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As mentioned earlier, this GT Edition is based on the i-S EyeSight spec of the Forester. With that, it is integrated with Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assist technology. Similar to what we’ve said in our review of other Subarus such as the WRX and the XV, the EyeSight technology is one of the best selling points of the Forester GT. 

Subaru’s EyeSight helps you have a safer drive by alerting you when the system picks up something unusual or hazards while you’re on the road. It’s like your co-pilot or it’s like driving with your parents on board. Yes, parents may get too anxious when you’re driving and gives different kinds of warning and safety reminders. That is what Subaru’s EyeSight is basically all about. It includes features such as adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, pre-collision throttle management, lane departure & lane sway warning, and lead vehicle start alert.

Going on a road trip with this vehicle sounds like a good idea

This Subaru Forester GT comes with other technologies that can help make your drives safer. Another useful feature we saw in this vehicle is the 360-degree monitor that flashes on the infotainment touchscreen. It gives you a complete view of your surroundings, which helps a lot when you’re backing out from a parking space. You can also pinch, rotate, and control which side of the vehicle you want to see.

Yes, you can rotate it in a 360-degree fashion. In this way, you got everything covered before you actually move the vehicle. Moreover, the Forester GT can drive through almost any terrain with the X-Mode. This feature can be activated by a knob and it will assist you in case you need to pass through muddy or rough terrain.

Aside from the EyeSight technology, the Subaru Forester GT is integrated with other safety features that give you peace of mind while you’re driving on the road. This vehicle comes with an ensemble of airbags (front, side, curtain, and knee) that will give you protection in case of an accident. This vehicle also has ISOFIX child seat anchors as well as a rear vehicle detection safety tech.

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The 2020 Forester GT is equipped with a 2.0-liter Boxer gasoline engine that can put out 154 hp and 196 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a Lineartonic continuously variable transmission and features Subaru’s Symmetrical all-wheel-drive system. 

The 2.0-liter Boxer engine of the Subaru Forester

The Forester GT can give you good driving performance. It’s stable when driven on the expressway, and its steering wheel is firm when it is cruising at highway speeds.

Moreover, the steering wheel is light, which comes in handy when you’re navigating tight city streets and when you’re parking the vehicle. The Forester also has a smooth ride comfort, and it can absorb the country’s beaten urban roads within reason.

The Subaru Forester GT is stable on the open highway

Overtaking slower vehicles is manageable as the Forester’s current 2.0-liter engine is more than capable. However, we would be lying if we don’t say that we miss the old Forester’s turbo engine. Don’t get us wrong, the Forester can still give you the power you need but the current engine exerts more effort when overtaking. You can feel the difference in power delivery especially when you’ve driven the XT spec of the old Forester.

To put things in perspective, the old Forester XT comes with a 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine that can put out 238 hp and 350 Nm of torque. Yes, the difference in power delivery will obviously be there. The only thing that we want to spill out here is that we wish that Subaru equipped the 2020 Forester GT with a turbo engine. 

That's a bold rear design

In terms of fuel consumption, the Forester GT registered 15 km/l when driven on the open highway at an average speed of 90 km/h. On the other hand, we got 6.7 km/l when we took the Forester GT around the city while driving at an average speed of 20 km/h. 

Overall, the Forester GT is a good and well capable car. It comes with a distinct exterior styling that makes it stand out on the road. The interior, on the other hand, has a premium-feel and rear passengers have good leg- and head-room that would make them comfortable even on long trips. As said earlier, cargo space is notable since you can fit almost anything in it.

The 2020 Subaru Forester GT

As a whole, this vehicle is a solid choice when you’re looking for a compact crossover that banks on overall safety and premium styling. However, the Forester GT is not one of the affordable crossovers in the local market, which could be one of its hurdles in yielding unit sales.

To put things in perspective, the price of this GT Edition is at Php 2,170,000 while the entry-level 2020 Forester is priced at Php 1,698,000. With that in mind, the price of the entry-level Forester is already within the price range of seven-seater midsize SUVs such as the Isuzu mu-X, Toyota Fortuner, Nissan Terra, among others.

But then again, if you value overall vehicle occupancy safety, the Forester GT is worth considering since Subaru is a brand known for producing safe cars. And of course, utmost comfort that midsize SUVs fall short on.

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Q: Is Subaru Forester a good car?

You could consider the Subaru Forester a good car especially when you are looking for a vehicle that comes with a lot of safety features.

Q: Why is the Subaru Forester so popular?

One of the reasons why the Subaru Forester is popular is its all-wheel-drive drivetrain, which allows the vehicle to have good traction on the road. Another reason for its popularity is the number of safety features it has. 

Q: What competes with Subaru Forester?

The Subaru Forester is a five-seater compact crossover. As such, it competes or go up against vehicles such as the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan X-Trail, among others